King Lear Act 4 – “As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods -They kill us for their sport.”

King Lear Act 4 – “As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods -
They kill us for their sport.”

We start Act 4 of ‘King Lear on the heath with Edgar reflecting that things are not working out that bad but then he is confronted with the horrific sight of his father whose eyes have been gorged out. Gloucester is led by an old tenant farmer. Gloucester tells the old man that the loss of his eyesight would have been worthwhile if he could touch his son Edgar again.  

“O dear son Edgar,

The food of thy abused father's wrath!

Might I but live to see thee in my touch,

I’d say I had eyes again!”

Edgar could reveal himself to his father, but he decides to maintain his disguise as Poor Tom, the beggar madman. Gloucester asks the old man to leave him with Tom (Edgar) and he asks the madman to lead him to Dover and to the highest cliff which Tom (Edgar) consents to.

We then move back to near Albany and Goneril’s palace as Goneril and Edmund (Gloucester’s bastard son) are arriving. Goneril seems put out that Albany did not meet them and her servant Oswald tells her that Albany is disgusted with the way that Goneril and Regan have treated Lear and that, he seems pleased that French army has landed. It starts to dawn on Goneril that her husband Albany may not be her ally and follow her blindly since he has developed a conscience. She thinks him a coward for his conscience and resolves that she will take more control of the army and commands Edmund to return to Cornwall’s house so that Cornwall’s troops can meet the French. She farewells Edmund with a kiss suggesting which way her affections now lay:

“It is the cowish terror of his spirit,

That dares not undertake: he'll not feel wrongs

Which tie him to an answer. Our wishes on the way

May prove effects. Back, Edmund, to my brother;

Hasten his musters and conduct his powers:

I must change arms at home, and give the distaff

Into my husband's hands. This trusty servant

Shall pass between us: ere long you are like to hear,

If you dare venture in your own behalf,

A mistress's command. Wear this; spare speech;

Giving a favour

Decline your head: this kiss, if it durst speak,

Would stretch thy spirits up into the air:

Conceive, and fare thee well.”

Albany enters just as Edmund exits and he berates Goneril for the way that her and her sister’s actions have driven Lear to madness. Goneril berates him back calling Albany a coward. Then a message arrives that tells of Cornwall’s death at the hands of a servant and the horror of both of Gloucester’s eyes being taken out by Cornwall. Albany is horrified but sees Cornwall’s death as some act of divine retribution.

“This shows you are above,

You justicers, that these our nether crimes

So speedily can venge! But, O poor Gloucester!”

 Goneril has a different reaction and in a soliloquy she sees this as lessening her sister’s power but unfortunately makes her sister a widow so that she could possibly pursue a marriage to Edmund. Goneril leaves quickly to answer her sister’s correspondence.

Albany questions the messenger further and is shocked when he hears that Edmund was the one who betrayed his own father causing Cornwall to punish Gloucester in such a horrific way. Albany resolves to help Gloucester and take vengeance out on Edmund.

“Gloucester, I live

To thank thee for the love thou show'dst the king,

And to revenge thine eyes. Come hither, friend:

Tell me what more thou know'st.”

Back near the French camp in Dover, Kent, still pretending to be a servant talks to a gentleman who tells him of the arrival of the French forces in Dover but that the King of France has gone back to France to sort out some matters. Kent asks about whether Cordelia received the letters about Lear’s mistreatment at the hand of Goneril and Regan that he sent her and the Gentleman relates how moved she was by the letters:

“Ay, sir; she took them, read them in my presence;

And now and then an ample tear trill'd down

Her delicate cheek: it seem'd she was a queen

Over her passion; who, most rebel-like,

Sought to be king o'er her.”

Kent then reveals to the Gentleman that Lear’s state is now between madness and sanity. Lear does not want to see Cordelia because he feels too ashamed because of what he did to her. Kent is  informed about how the combined armies of Albany and Cornwall (even though he is dead) are readying to face the French force. Kent says he will bring the Gentleman to Lear.

Then Cordelia enters, with her soldiers and she orders then to find the now mad Lear and to bring him back. She then consults with a doctor about the chance of someone like Lear recovering from madness and the doctor says that sleep is needed and that he has about Lear’s chances for recovering his sanity. The doctor tells her that what Lear most needs is sleep and that he has many “simple operatives” to help with sleep. Cordelia then hears that the combined armies of Cornwall and Albany are moving towards her and the French forces. Cordelia and her man stand ready for a battle.

Back at the bat-cave (sorry, wrong genre, decade and century) Oswald informs Regan of the progress of the two armyies. He flippantly comments that Goneril seem a “better soldier” than Albany. Oswald has a letter from Goneril which he won’t show Regan so she guesses that it is from Goneril to Edmund and of a romantic nature. Regan reveals that she likes Edmund and sees now that she is a widow that she would make a good match. Regan gives Oswald a token to deliver to Edmund. She also says that anyone who kills Gloucester will get a huge reward.

“If you do chance to hear of that blind traitor,

Preferment falls on him that cuts him off.”

Still disguised as Tom, Edgar leads Gloucester to Dover and pretends to take Gloucester to the cliff. Gloucester gets Tom (Edgar) to leave him and then, compelled by his shame and guilt, Gloucester tries to commit suicide by falling from the cliff. But Edgar has only put Gloucester on a small mound and he pretends that he is an ordinary gentleman and he picks Gloucester up and tells him that he saw him fall from the top of the cliff and beside him was devil. Gloucester accepts this explanation and then he sees Lear entering with a crown of wild flowers. Lear seems mad, deserting reason, rhyme and iambic pentametre. Then he strangely recognises Gloucester and alludes to Gloucester’s sin of adultery before he launches into a tirade about women.

Cordelia’s party finds them and Lear runs away, pursued (not by a bear) but by Cordelia’s men. Then Oswald enters and seeing Gloucester, he plans to kill him and get the reward but then Edgar pretends to be a local peasant and fights with oswald and stabs him. The dying Oswald gives the letters he bears to Edgar.

Edgar reads the letters and finds out that Goneril has written them to Edmund to urge him to kill her husband Albany so that she Goneril and Edmund can be together. Edgar decides that he will take Gloucester to safety before he shows the letter to Albany himself.

Meanwhile, over at the French camp, Cordelia tells Kent that she knows who he is and how he protected her father but promises to keep his secret. Lear is asleep and then he wakes and seems to recognise Cordelia: speaks with Kent. She knows his real identity, but he wishes it to remain a secret to everyone else. Lear, who has been sleeping, is brought in to Cordelia. He only partially recognizes her.

“Do not laugh at me;

For, as I am a man, I think this lady

To be my child Cordelia.”

Cordelia reveals that she does not blame or hate her father and that she forgives him for her banishment. Then the news of Cornwall’s death is heard and the approach of Edmund and Cornwall’s troops. Kent and others prepare for battle:

“Report is changeable. 'Tis time to look about; the

powers of the kingdom approach apace…

My point and period will be throughly wrought,

Or well or ill, as this day's battle's fought.”